Najma and Stella
Thirty-year-old Najma Ahmad had a three-year-old child and was pregnant with twins when she made the difficult decision to separate from her husband.
Now divorced and caring for a lively family of three – Nafeesa (5) and two-year-old twin girls Aliyah and Nabiyah – Najma is making her own way in the world.
As a young single mother with three lively children life has not been easy, but Najma has the support of her family and her Home-Start volunteer, Stella Skidmore.
Really I’ve done nothing more than be an outside ear,” says Stella, “letting her talk and giving her praise, which everyone needs. Over the year I’ve seen her grow in confidence. The change is visible – all from the simple gift of time.
“My health visitor saw the tension in me after the twins were born and suggested Home-Start,” says Najma.
“It was a very hard time and although I have family not far away,sometimes it was difficult to talk to them about my feelings and problems. Stella is a good listener and I feel I can say anything to her. She is a mother with two older children and she is the kind of
person who will listen without criticising.”
With 13 years experience as a Home-Start co-ordinator Stella visited Najma to assess her needs and then became her volunteer:
“I could see that she was quite low, lacking in confidence and not really getting out and talking to other people. She can relax with me. Often we sit and talk and play with the children or go to the park. She’s a good mother and very interested in cooking so we’ve shared some recipes and cooked together.”
Najma has also embarked on a short course in computing and creative textiles, something she wouldn’t have had the confidence to tackle a year ago.
Photographer: Alley Everitt
